Fish are living creatures. They live in the water, and underwater is their habitat. All living things like fish can acquire diseases, parasites, and other physical illnesses. Even if we don’t want our pet fish to get sick, it is somehow expected if the water is not appropriately maintained, it is an overcrowded and unhealthy diet. There is no guarantee that fish won’t acquire such diseases, but knowing how to prevent this, a fishkeeper may learn and recognize the common types of fish diseases.
Recognizing the diseases in fish, but upon tracing the causes, here’s why: bad water quality, overcrowding, wrong diet, unsanitized cleaning tools, and other environmental issues. Prevention is better than cure; foremost, when getting fish, the main point is to keep them healthy and stress-free.
Ich, known as white spot disease, is caused by the parasite caused by the protozoanIchthyophthirius multifiliis. It is usually visible and penetrates a fish’s skin or gills, eats fish’s flesh, and creates a white spot. Ich has a high mortality rate and is very infectious. The parasite multiplies and disseminates to other fish quickly and is deadly if untreated. In addition to the white spots, symptoms are fish scratching against surfaces in its tank and swimming close to the water’s surface due to problems in breathing. Several treatments are available. Consult an aquatic veterinarian to examine and provide proper care for the fish. Ich can be contained by maintaining adequate tank hygiene and quarantining new fish in the tank. Consult with an aquatic veterinarian to confirm the best option for your fish. Medical or herbal medications can be dangerous to some fish. Add substances like hydrogen peroxide to your tank, but it will only be effective in its earlier stages. Ich is incredibly dominant in aquariums.
Fungal infections are one of the common diseases for fish. The fungal spores intrinsically settle in fish tanks, but ill, low immune, or injured fish are prone to infection and can increase the threat. These infections manifest as white or cloudy, fungus-like patches on the skin, mouth, fins, or gills. There are visible behavioral signs like breathing rapidly and loss of appetite. Consistently treat the tank hygienically by regularly changing the water and cleaning the ornaments. Constantly wash and rinse your hands before and after handling the sanitized aquarium tools. The disease does not persist in 1% or higher salt solutions, so the salt can be an excellent initial remedy if the case is less severe.
Dropsy – a symptom of an infection caused by Aeromonas in aquariums; this bacteria can be typically found in most fish tanks; however, it’s likely to infect sick fish. Dropsy indicates a swelling of your fish’s abdomen. It means a buildup of fluid inside, damaging its internal organs, sometimes extruding eyes and scales. There are also behavioral signs in infected fish, such as losing appetite and rapid gill breathing. Unfortunately, the mortality rate is high. However, the fish will likely respond to treatment if the diagnosis is made immediately in the earlier stages. It’s best to isolate the fish in its treatment tank and add a small amount of Epsom salt.
Upholding your fish tank’s water quality is key to keeping your fish safe from this condition. Likewise, feed your high-quality fish food and avoid overcrowding or poor water conditions. Test the water often and observe signs of stress.
Fin/tail rot is a bacterial infection that often occurs with other diseases. White fin or tail edges are symptomatic of this disease. If their fin or tail edges appear white, they may be rotting. Fish will never be able to restore the lost tissue, and the disease begins to attack its body. But this is also caused by poor water quality, but it can be traced down to fish bullying other fish inside the tank; bullied fish should be moved to a separate tank.
The owner must maintain and check the water condition responsibly. Fin and tail rot can be treated with antibiotics and a complete tank rehab. Antibacterial treatments are the most commercially available medicines that can be effective. Melafix is a good example. Separate the infected fish. Fixing your aquarium’s environment is fundamental and will prevent further issues.
Velvet – is caused by a parasite called Oödinium. Spots may appear as velvety yellow, rust, or dusty gold tones on the fish’s outer part. Some behaviors are also observable, like rapid gill movement and signs that fish are trying to rub the parasites off the surfaces of the tank.
Severe progression of the disease resulted in a loss of appetite and struggled to breathe. Treatment with Copper Sulfate is highly recommended for this kind of fish disease, for a full ten days should be used to ensure that the parasite will be stopped. Velvet has the potential to kill every inhabitant in your tank.
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